Sharky’s Machine (1981)

Plot of Sharky’s Machine: Sergeant Sharky is demoted from the drug squad to vice after bodging the arrest of a villain. He collects a team around him and they start to watch a high class escort Dominoe who is having an affair with a man running for governor, Hotchkins. Both Dominoe and Hotchkins are controlled by Victor a mafia boss. Sharky starts of become obsessed by Dominoe and after she is forced into sex by Victor, and her flatmate is killed by Victor’s hit man, he takes the step of hiding her from the opposition.  When Dominoe find out about Sharky’s feeling for her she is horrified, but can it work out and will Sharky save her.

Content: Despite its subject matter there is no nudity and a single sex act takes place off camera. There is a lot of drinking and drug taking but mostly there are confrontations between the police and the villains using very large hand guns which boom impressively. The Lieutenant, played by Charles Durning, shouts incessantly and irritatingly. A lot of the film features the cops in the stake-out looking through binoculars at Dominoe moving about behind lace curtains. The opening scene, where Sharky is carrying out a sting might be the best scene in the film.

A View: This is from the period when Burt Reynolds looked as if he has a stocking over his head. It was moderately well thought of when it was released, and it does have a plot, a beginning, a middle and an end which is something, but maybe it is a bit period. The script lacks humour and of course the subject matter is particularly grim. So only a watch for nothing while doing your knitting.

Fun Fact: The film had already started shooting when Rachel Ward was cast as Dominoe.